Sanitary pad



VUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANITARY PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1, 1920.

Application led October 31, 1919. Serial No. 334,784.

` To all whom it may concor/n.'

tion is to provide a.pad for the purpose stated embodying an absorbent member the purpose of whieh is obvious and whieh member may be removed or detached from the remainder of the pad and hung up to dry or it may be Washed or Votherwise cleansed so as to render it fit for future use.

Another object of the invention is to pro.- vide a pad of the class mentioned so 'oonstructed that the same will be highly absorbent, the absorbent member of Vthe padVv being so protected by a ynonabsorbent barkingmembeu as to preclude any possibility of fiuids absorbed bythe first-mentioned member. coming in Contact with and soiling the `bed clothing. A

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pad embodying the present invention Fig. Qis a perspective view of the pad in suspended position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pad;

Fig. 4 is a detail seetional view similar to Fig. 3,

Corresponding and' like parts are referred to in the following deseription1 and indicated inall the views of the areompanying draw ings by the saine reference characters. The absorbent member of the pad is indieated in the drawings in general by the numeral 1 and the same comprises a bag or sack 2 which may be of muslin, eheesecloth. netting, or any similar cloth material which is foraminous to a marked degree. This sack may be rectangular or any other desired contour and the same is provided with a filling 3 comprising one or more layers of sponge or any other highly ab-` sorbent and yieldable material. This member of the pad is generally `of a Hat form and by reason of the nature of the materials of which it is composed. it will prove soft and comfortable to the person using the article. The absorbent member is completed by a covering 4 which may be of muslin or any other soft cloth material which is preferably less foraminous than the sack 2 so as not to prove irritating to a person resting upon the pad. It will be understood that both'the sack 2 and covering 4 may be made up in any desired manner each either from one piece or several. pieees the edges of which may be united by stitehing or otherwise.

In order to adapt the absorbent member of the pad to be suspended as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and thus farilitate drying of the same, the said member is provided preferably at one end with sus )ension loops indicated by the numeral and which loops may be formed from suitable lengths of tape in the mannelt` clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. the ends of the lengths of tape being stitched or otherwise secured to the said end/ of the absorbent member. In any eventffthese loops are of a material whieh is fiiexible so that the loops may be folded under eonditions to be presently explained.

In order tp prevent bunehing of the sponge or other absorbent filling and to maintain the flat contour of the absorbent member as a whole, it is preferable that the member be tufted, as for example by stitches G run through the opposite sides of the sack 2 and through the filling 3 at suitably spaced intervals, ln this manner the filling will be prevented from bunehing while the pad in use. and likewise this` result will be obtained while the absorbent member is be ing washed or otherwise cleansed.

In order to prevent any fluids absorbed by the member heretofore described, coming in eontaet with the bed clothing and soiling the same` a backing sheet is provided for the absorbent member and this sheet is indieated in general by the numeral 7 and iS preferably of rubberized cloth or any other flexible sheet material which is non-absorbent. This barking sheet is of the Same general marginal contour as the absorbent member but of slightly greater dimensions so that at least two marginal portions thereof, for example the two end marginal portions', indrated by the numeral 8, may be folded over the eorresponding ends of the absorbent member when the absorbent member is laid flat upon the ,spread out backing sheet 'In order to provide for holding snap fastening, and the hedging shee s the backing sheet assembled with the absorbent member, the latter is provided at each of its four corners, on both sies or faces of the pad, with one element provided at each of its four corners the other element 10 of such a fa ing. For example, the absorbent mem ber will. be provided with the stud eleof snap fasteners and the backing p illbe provided with the socket ele- "inie of suchrfasteners, but if desired other "t' ,o of fastening devices such for example as hooks and eyes may be employed. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings that when the absorbent member is laid out upon the backing sheet 7, the sus ension loops 5 -will project beyond the cndp of the Aabsorbent member and over the face of the backing sheet at the corresponding marginal portion 8 thereof, and in folding over the said marginal portion of the backing sheet as shown in the said figure, it will be desirable tol likewise fold over the saidlsuspension loops so that the same will be covered and protected against being torn loose, and likewise prevented from coming in contact with the patient or other person using the pad and causing irritation or anno ance.

ile but a single o ne of the elements 9 need be provided at each corner of the absorbent pad member in order to produce a complete structure, nevertheless it will no sheet .A

doubt be desirable to provide two of these' elements at each corner, each located upon a res ective side or face of the pad member and3 both secured in p lace by the same stitches,as clearly shown in Iiig. 4 of the drawings, these stitches being indicated by the numeral 11 and passing through the sack 2 the filling 3, and the covering 4. By n both sides or provi g these` elements u aces of the member, am enabled to reverse the p -dv member so as to present for 'use a cleanside thereof should the other side become soiled.A It will also be evident that the stitches .11 serve as an additional .means to prevent displ'aeement or bunching of the filling 3 in the sack.

.If desired the backing -sheet 7 instead of being folded over the opposite ends of the pad, may be made of such size'that the ends of said backing sheet, when positioned on the pad, will terminate substantially flush with. the ends of said )ad so that the upper face of the pad Will resent a smooth continuous surface.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new isi:-

1. A pad comprising an absorbent pad' member a backing sheet of non-absorbent material having marginal portions to be folded over upon corresponding `marginal portions of the said absorbent pad member, and means for securingr the said' marginal ortions of the sheet to the said pad meming marginal portion of'the said backing sheet.

3. In apad of the class described, an absorbent member comprising a sack of relatively highly foraininousjmaterial, a fillin of absorbent material within the sack, and a covering of less foraininous material inclosiii the said sack.

4.l 12h an article of the class described, an absorbent pad member provided upon each ,face with the element of a fastening device,

and a non-absorbent backing sheet dispos able to cover either face of the absorbent pad member and provided with the other elements of the said fastening devices.

In testimon whereof I aix my si nature;

MA THA V. BAUER. FL. silh 

